Making a Difference,

One at a Time

Programs and Services

Our lives begin to end the day
we become silent about things that matter.

- Marting Luther King Jr.

Programs and Services

Friends and Families Center: The County Reentry Mode

About

In December 2009, Friends Outside launched the pilot Friends and
Families Neighborhood Center (FFNC) in Stockton, California to
assist formerly incarcerated people and their families in leading
positive and productive lives after release. The Center is a model
of carefully crafted services available pre and post release. Data
on outcomes is being carefully evaluated to ensure continuous
improvement.

Utilizing a strengths-based, family-centered treatment model,
the Center is designed to increase the likelihood of positive
reintegration into the community and successful family
reunification, and to reduce recidivism.

In the Center, Friends Outside focuses on six different
service areas: mental health, housing/homelessness, health,
education, family support, and employment/income.

Friends Outside staff provides support and information how to
on maintain contact with an incarcerated family member in state
prison or county jail, including visiting information.

Staff serves as liaisons between family members, social
service providers, and incarcerated people.

Staff are resources for referrals to community supportive
services including housing, medical/mental health needs, income
support, and employment/education.

Current Services at the Friends and
Families
Center:

San Joaquin County Warrant Reduction Program (WRAP)

Friends Outside partners with the San Joaquin County
Probation Department to reduce the number of warrants that are
issued to individuals for failure to keep appointments with
assigned probation officers. Upon referral, our WRAP team makes
contact with the person in jail or in the community and provides
assistance so they can avoid the issuance of a warrant and
potential jail time. This hugely successful program is modeled
after one provided by our Friends Outside affiliate in Santa
Cruz County.

Since the launch of the WRAP program in October2012, the WRAP
team has received 1060 referrals from the county, and has
provided outreach and services to ensure that over 594 (56%)
people did not receive warrants. With jail costs at $125 per
day, and the average offender serving 15 days, the estimated
savings so far from thisThe WRAP program also offers
services to family members of the referred individuals free of
charge. Case Managers have worked with over 350 formerly
incarcerated individuals and their families on issues pertaining
to their individual reentry plans. Friends Outside staff works
collaboratively with the San Joaquin Probation Department to
offer relevant programming and case management services to
reduce the likelihood the individual will re-offend.

Dads Program

Friends Outside offers The Dads Program, funded by the U.S.
Department of Justice, in the San Joaquin County jail. It is
open to incarcerated fathers, and provides one-on-one case
management and group mentoring to strengthen family connections
and assist with their reentry back into the community. We assess
participants’ capacity to meet their personal and familial
responsibilities by addressing issues pertaining to: life skill
deficits, language barriers, income earning ability, and
physical or mental challenges. Individuals are provided at least
three months of pre-release and six months of post -release case
management. We believe that every dad can be a great dad. Since
the start of the contract in 2012, Friends Outside staff has
enrolled more than 85 individuals in the program.

All of the participants that have been enrolled in the
program have taken part in peer support group and have been
given a mentor.

Many of the participants have increased their interactions
with their children (writing, calling, and visiting) by at least
20%. Over 2/3 of the Dads have been enrolled in a cognitive
behavioral class and over 1/3 are currently working on or have
received employment. Another 1/3 of the participants are going
back to school or staying home to take a more active role in
parenting.

Wellness Reentry Program

In January 2012, Friends Outside received funding from
The California Wellness Foundation for a “pilot demonstration
project, the Wellness Reentry Program”. The goals of this
program are to: educate and inform the reentry population
regarding healthy lifestyle practices; to remove barriers in
accessing healthcare; to provide information about preventative
health practices; and, to motivate people to engage in health
affirming activities. So far, Friends Outside staff has worked
with 205 individuals and their families.

Only three individuals have returned to incarceration, an
impressive achievement.

Many of the 203 individuals were at high risk for unhealthy
outcomes that could affect them, their families and the
community. We found that

Most had not been seen by a doctor over four years

Most had not been seen by a dentist in over seven years

Most were evaluated as being at risk for serious illness
due to genetic or lifestyle factors.

In addition, over three-quarters of our clients experienced
insufficient food resources and requested assistance in
obtaining assistance thru CalFresh. Those who did not meet
CalFresh requirements were helped to access local food banks or
short-term assistance. In addition, the program has reached over
500 families with outreach health education and community
referrals.

Job Club

The Friends Outside Job Club provides bi-monthly workshops
that focus on job readiness and building employment skills. This
is a free program that is available to any person in the
community who has been incarcerated at any point in their life.

The program deals with typical employment seeking issues and
also offers a supportive avenue for individuals with a criminal
record. Workshops include information on:

Resume building

Job search

Mock interviewing

Computer and other skills

Explaining your record

Dealing with difficult coworkers or managers

Communicating your needs in the workplace

Your rights as an employee

Family Support group

This group meets twice a month to discuss issues that
family members of incarcerated people face. Meetings are held
the first and fourth Tuesday of every month at the Friends and
Family Center at 5:30 PM. These group sessions are available to
anyone in the community, free of charge. Child Care and dinner
are also provided.

In these meetings, family members are able to explore
feelings and situations that may be difficult for others to
understand, such as the anger, sadness, and frustration that can
result from having an incarcerated family member.

Friends Outside realizes that incarcerated individuals
reentering society also need the support of their community to
be successful. The Family Support group discusses any and all
issues that reentering people may face when dealing with family,
community, employment or any other life issues.